Holding business lunches is essential for meeting new clients and networking. Lunch meetings allow you to meet potential clients with added intimacy. Gatherings among influencers in your industry can help you devise new strategies that will elevate your business to greater heights. Utilizing a meeting over lunch allows for generative dialogue and shared fun which enhances creative energy.

Expense is always an issue when hosting a business lunch. It is only sensible to claim back the amount you spend on food if you are self-employed. Employees of all kinds should be informed about Claiming Business lunches to learn about best practices. Still, whether or not to claim an expense impacts year-end tax deductions for employees and businesses. Consultation about appropriate expense claims may be necessary. Companies like Fusion Chartered Accountants provide access to SME focused accountants offering the right advice on this matter. 

FEATURED CONTENT: BUSINESS TRAVEL: HOW TO MANAGE IT RIGHT

Once you have determined the appropriate expense practices, you will be prepared to host a meal with clients and stakeholders. Of utmost importance when holding this type of meeting is your company’s image. You must ensure that everything you do and present is in line with your company’s image. The following are tips for a successful business lunch.

Business Lunch Attire

How you dress for any kind of meeting communicates a lot about your company. Relaxed attire signals a relaxed work environment. Business formal attire communicates that working with you means working with a professional. Chances are you are aware you are attending a business lunch, so you will probably don the right attire. However, if you are uncertain, the purpose of the meeting can provide insight on the attire that is expected. What you wear has an impact on the success of selling your products or services, as well as your company values.

Photo by Rebrand Cities from Pexels

Be Prepared

Preparation is vital to ensuring your business lunch is successful. This is especially true if you are hosting the lunch. Familiarize yourself with the venue and their menu in advance. Doing so will guarantee your ability to answer questions among your attendees and placing your order expediently. 

Be prepared for the kind of discussion you want to have during lunch. Because a business lunch is time-limited, it is important to utilize your time well. Having an agenda or list of issues you hope to discuss will keep you on track.

Stay Self-Aware

You should be in control of your emotional presence when engaging in the discussion over lunch. Though some companies allow the consumption of alcohol at a business lunch, it may be best to avoid it. Alcohol can impair your speech and lower your self-awareness. Countless mistakes can be made when you are not in full control of your thoughts and actions. Also, the people you are meeting may have different views about alcohol, and your use of alcohol during a business meeting may negatively influence them about you or your company. 

Business Lunch Manners & Etiquette

How you order your meal at a business lunch can also impact the image your guests have of you and your company. Treat waitstaff politely, speak clearly, and be patient. Consider allowing your guests to place their order first. If you are not ordering the same meal as them, then look for something that is of comparable size to what they have ordered. Choose a less expensive meal if you are not the one paying the bill.

Proper eating etiquette is also essential during such meetings. You should display high levels of hygiene when having your meals. Eat at a reasonable pace so as to not risk making a mess. Order meals that are easy to consume and allow you to avoid spills and drops on your clothing. 

When you follow these tips, you are sure to have a successful business lunch.

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Businesses spent roughly $1.3 trillion on global business travel in 2017, with the United States ranking second for business travel spend. Moreover, one-third of all travel tourism revenue stems from business travel. Therefore, it’s clear to see that modern companies are willing to go the extra mile to help their organizations succeed.

However, managing business travel isn’t always as easy as booking a flight and hotel. There are several moving parts to consider, and the details between Point A and Point B can be pretty complex.

Some businesses enlist corporate travel management services, while others tackle their travel needs in house. Whatever the case, it’s important to understand how to streamline your travel processes. Here are a few tips on managing business travel.

Photo by Benjamin Cruz from Pexels

Talk to Your Team About Business Travel

Building a great company culture is necessary for long-term growth. One of the best ways to achieve a cohesive culture is by speaking to your team and gathering feedback.

Therefore, collect feedback on your business travel policy and the experiences your team has during their trips. This allows you to make every trip as efficient as possible. Moreover, your staff will appreciate your dedication to their involvement.

RELATED ARTICLE: 4 WAYS TO BUILD A REMARKABLY STRONG CONNECTION WITH YOUR EMPLOYEES

Sign Up for Rewards

Rewards programs aren’t limited just to individuals. Many rewards programs are geared towards businesses, too. For instance, businesses partnered with American Airlines Business Extra get reward points for each flight their employees take. Plus, the employee gets their own points, too.

Additionally, many hotels have reward programs in place, and the more you sign up for, the more you’ll save. If there’s a particular hotel or service you use often for business travel, contact them to arrange a discount on your company’s behalf.

Choose the Right Accommodations

One of the most important decisions your travel team will make is deciding on final accommodations. Of course you want your team to be comfortable, and you also want them to be productive.

With this in mind, opt for accommodations with work spaces and close proximity to meetings. For example, some hotels are designed especially with the business traveler in mind. These best of these offer expansive business lounges, boardrooms, coffee shops, and event spaces.

Create a Business Travel Policy

No matter how well-thought-out your travel rules and guidelines are, you won’t get too far without committing it to paper. A travel policy allows everyone to follow the same guidelines when it comes to business travel. Moreover, it sets the foundation for what is and isn’t permissible.

On the other hand, without a policy, you’ll find your expenses will quickly pile up. Managing receipts and paperwork will become a big hassle. So in your policy, detail the expense categories and process, as well as any spending limits. Take a look at these sample travel policies for a concrete idea on how to spearhead your own policies.

Additionally, as you build your business travel policy, it’s important to sync your management objectives. For instance, if you plan to bring several new employees on board in the coming months, take this into consideration for your overall budget. Your final business travel policy should always reflect the goals of the company.

Communicate the Guidelines

It’s important to communicate your business travel guidelines. Although the fine print is there, having a meeting will help solidify the basics and convey the importance of your policy.

“Most employees want to do the right thing, but they need to have clear travel guidelines that are posted and communicated to them,” Jeanne Liu, Vice President of Research for the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), told Airbnb.

“Then, when you can track data that shows they are booking with preferred suppliers and so on, you are in a much stronger position to negotiate for better rates. At the same time, you may also get better value, including more perks and amenities for your travelers.”

Utilize Business Travel Planning Tools

Google calendar is great for scheduling meetings and setting reminders. However, it can’t compare with the robust features of a niche business travel planning platform. When members of your company are traveling often, it helps to take advantage of these tools. With them you can streamline travel plans and collaborate among employees.

These platforms will help you keep tabs on the who, what, and where of your staff. And they can also be a great way to organize big trips among multiple groups.

For example, with the business travel planning platform Travefy, you can quickly add confirmation and flight numbers. Plus, the system populates your itinerary with relevant gate numbers, times, directions, and other pertinent details. You can also share itineraries with other people, allowing them to view and change plans as they see fit.

Conclusion

When you streamline your business travel process, you save travelers time and stress, and you save the company money.

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Market research is a fundamental staple of business planning for companies of all shapes and sizes and across all industries. Most business owners realize this, but when it comes to execution, they lack direction or finesse. As a result, research is plagued with irrelevant or inaccurate information, and your marketing and advertising campaigns fail to meet expectations. 

Fortunately, there are some simple steps you can take to improve the quality of your market research.

Utilize video.

When you’re working with individuals, try to capture as much video as possible, using the video recording platform of your choice. It’s one thing to read a survey response from a participant who says they enjoy using your product. It’s another to see their face light up when they discover a certain feature or see them struggle in confusion when trying to figure out how to use it. Video can reveal truths that other tools can’t.

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Use both quantitative and qualitative data.

Many market researchers get stuck in one mode to inform their actions. Either quantitative or qualitative data takes precedence, but it is the combination of both that offers a clearer picture. Gathering numerical survey responses for the purposes of crunching those numbers algorithmically and generating graphs will reveal a certain type of data. In contrast, subjective data gathered from activities like reviewing how people respond emotionally to different questions, or how they behave when using your product reveals a different kind of results. The best course of action is to integrate both into your market research, getting the best of both worlds. 

Work with a market research expert.

It is always a good idea to work with an expert when engaging in market research. Depending on your budget and the nature of your business, this could mean working with a market research firm, hiring a full-time market research expert, or working with a consultant. 

Test under multiple conditions.

Just because a trend emerges under one set of testing conditions doesn’t mean it should lead to a universal conclusion. Try to run tests under a variety of conditions. You may seek out subjects to participate in your research in different ways. Seek feedback from different environments. Consider collecting data at different times of the day. Every variable you adjust could render significant and important information.

Look at demographics you might otherwise neglect.

Though knowing your customers is important, it is important to not get tunnel vision. Just because you strongly feel that one demographic will be key to your business doesn’t mean they’re the only demographic that matters. Consider multiple demographics, including demographics you had not previously engaged.

RELATED CONTENT: HOW TO BECOME A BUSINESS ANALYTICS EXPERT

Challenge your assumptions.

Bias can easily compromise your market research, even if you are utilizing tools to conduct research properly. One of the best things you can do to compensate for bias is to challenge your assumptions. Question your presumptions about the market you are researching. Put those presumptions to the test. Investigate ideas contrary to your perspective for insight.

Increase your market research sample size.

Generally, the bigger your sample is, the more reliable your data is going to be. If there are 10 million people in your target demographic, surveying all 10 million of them should render the perfect data set for product development. Merely surveying 5 of those people will not come close to accuracy or reliability. You’ll need to engage a significant sample set to achieve reliable results. 

Market Research Improvement Takes Time 

Your market research isn’t going to go from unreliable to accurate overnight. You will have to make gradual, iterative improvements. It’s on you to instate new protocols and invest in new modes of research until you have a system that works. Keep making adjustments as you learn new things. There will always be room for improvement.

Connecting with the right people at the right time takes strategy; strategy in your content and strategy to maximize your brand outreach. A marketing content strategy provides your company results across multiple platforms and in a variety of media content.

It can be easy for the planning stages of a marketing content strategy to feel overwhelming. But the effort you put in before implementation helps you clarify your goals and help ensure that your time isn’t wasted. Establishing the right balance of strong social media posts, email campaigns, blog posts, infographics, and video is complex. The pressure to continue to generate fresh and consistently great content can feel never-ending. Added to this, your budget can seem overstretched before you even get started. However, the rewards are massive for companies with an informed marketing content strategy.

With your success in mind, here are eight tips for putting together a strong marketing content strategy. Take charge of the power to deliver significant results to benefit your business.

1. Don’t Create Just for Creating’s Sake

With so many brands pushing out endless streams of content, it can be easy to fall into the trap of wanting to keep up. But if you are creating content just for the sake of it, your efforts likely won’t generate the results you want. Instead, focus on what your audience wants and needs from you and what you can truly deliver. When you identify key issues important to your clientele, you can more easily create content that will capture their attention and keep it. Understanding your customers helps you set reachable goals and create content specific to those goals. 

2. Communicate your Core Values

Your marketing content is the proverbial first impression potential customers have of your company before they decide whether to spend money with you. Therefore, it is essential that you ensure that your content clearly communicates your core values; what you care about. Your messaging must maintain a consistent voice that feels natural and authentic to your brand.

Do not fall prey to the temptation to create generic content that you believe will have mass appeal. Instead, work to create unique content in which your brand is immediately recognizable renders higher returns. Impressive results over both short and long terms come when your brand stands out from the competition.

3. Demonstrate your Knowledge, Expertise, and Insights

Markets are saturated with an unlimited selection of content to inform their consumer choices. So, it is vital that your marketing content delivers value that they cannot get anywhere else. Focus on creating content that showcases your expertise. Tailor your messaging to express what you know and how you are the best choice to meet their needs. The right balance will engage your audience.

4. Practice Non-Linear Storytelling

Storytelling provides brands with the opportunity to connect with audiences on an emotional level. However, the format and length of storytelling have changed over the years. Gone are the days of every narrative featuring a clear beginning, middle, and end. Now, communicating a single story across screens and platforms takes full advantage of the adage that one picture communicates a thousand words.

A marketing content strategy employing videos, infographics, gifs, memes and blog posts to specific sections of your audience ensures that your content resonates with as wide a constituency as possible. The diversity of media only helps reach more potential customers.

5. Consider your Customer Journey

Mapping your customer journey will help you to determine precisely how, when and where to connect with your ideal audience. Consider the thoughts, emotions, and expectations that your audience will have at every touchpoint. Use this information to guide your content and deliver relevant, engaging material at the right times.

6. Consider Content Destination

There are a variety of platforms and channels available that you might want to incorporate into your marketing content strategy. Although it is important not to spread your efforts too thinly, you should be targeting potential customers on a range of platforms that you know your audience likes to use.

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Always understand where your content will be published. This will allow you to tailor your output to each platform. Creating content that is relevant to the environment and context in which it will be published will make it far more effective and more likely to resonate with your audience.

7. Consider Evergreen Content

Many businesses begin their marketing content with either too many or too few ideas. In contrast, you must build evergreen content or content that is search-optimized and consistently relevant. Consider frequently asked customer questions or queries to help you to form a foundation of content that will continue to deliver value to your audience over time.

Start by considering broad themes your business hopes to address. From there, create a library of content that expounds on those themes. Focusing on evergreen content will help you to scale your marketing content library with pieces that can be repurposed again and again.

8. Discuss What isn’t Being Discussed

If you want to make an impact with your content, the best approach may be to target a niche that is currently being underserved by your competitors. Adopting a forward-thinking approach is an excellent way to demonstrate that you are an innovative brand with unique insight. Starting a conversation can give you more visibility than simply contributing to existing discussions. Just be sure you have support from solid research for any statements you make.

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It is not always easy to have the necessary inspiration to design, create, and implement Instagram advertising campaigns. Yet, the impact of successful Instagram campaigns is undeniable. As leaders of commerce, we must put all our effort into planning and creating the best Instagram advertising campaigns possible for the success of our companies and organizations. 

In this article, I will provide you with a brief analysis of what creative Instagram advertisements should include. I will also offer advice about where to find inspiration for a creative ad at any moment.

Return on Investment

To get started, let’s consider one of the social media advertising greats on Instagram. Abacus Agency is one of the leading Facebook and Instagram advertising agencies currently at work for companies and organizations like yours. The initial goal of the company was to drive better ROI (Return on Investment) through clients’ paid social ads. They quickly became the #1 Instagram Ad Agency because of their work. Just after two years of service, they have outlined the perfect formula to launch any Instagram Ad Campaign into trendiest seas.

By following the success stories of companies like Abacus Agency we will take a look at how you can offer creative Instagram advertisements to your potential customers.

RELATED CONTENT: THE LATEST INSTAGRAM FEATURES FOR PROMOTING YOUR BUSINESS IN 2019

Basics of Instagram Advertising

You can learn from the best artists in the market just by looking at their ads. However, you must meet some basic requirements for your ads to get the best results. There are a variety of Instagram ad types, but successful ads share some common characteristics. For instance, Instagram ads should meet each of the following:

• 100% exploited text space (without exceeding 20% ​​in the image).
• Image quality attuned to the ad location (feed or story).
• Concise and direct messages.
• Optimal use of relevant #hashtags.
• A clear call to action

Gaining Inspiration

Every artist needs inspiration and the art of advertising is no different. Instagram ads must be visually appealing in order to gain the attention of potential customers. Here are some of the options for finding the images that will get you noticed.

Instagram’s Search Engine

Precisely, one of the best sources of inspiration for Instagram ads is the search engine of the social network itself. This works for two main reasons. First, this channel communicates with the main news and features of Instagram to design ads and advertising campaigns. Second, Instagram offers an extensive library of photographs and videos published by users. The images span any subject and can help spark ideas for your own ads. Simply search for keywords similar to your ad subject or sector and let the system (and the competition) work for you.

Photo Editing Blogs

Trending photography and illustration experts will help you generate ideas for all kinds of ads. These are professionals with an eye for creative ways to communicate. As they say, “an image is worth a thousand words”!  Let those who know imagery be your source and guide. For example:

• Adobe Photoshop blog | This is the leading photo editing software on the market. In its blog, Adobe Photoshop shares striking creations from image-editing professionals, as well as different uses of filters and contrasts applicable in Instagram Ads.
• Polaroid Blog | One of the maxims of this brand is design and aesthetic care. A review of their content will help you enhance your ad ideas, content, and format.
• PicsArt Blog | Here, you will find many ideas to create the best Instagram ads. 

Photo by George Lebada from Pexels

Established Brands and Influencers 

Undoubtedly, another good way to get inspiration for your Instagram ads is to research the profiles of the best influencer accounts on Instagram.

For example, GoPro is a manufacturer of cameras that shares with its Instagram community images with that special GoPro wide-angle perspective. Another company, Skyscanner, saturates its Instagram posts on spooky landscapes, impressive cities, and imposing monuments.

From these types of accounts, you can extract and be inspired by powerful, quality images. Mix, combine and tweak material and ideas until that “ah-ha!” moment happens.

Branding in Instagram

Acquiring a large image library can aid you in developing your ad campaigns. But that’s just a start. You must build your ad formula to engage users with image, text/messaging, and action.  You must also give careful consideration to your brand. Even in the most creative ad campaigns, you cannot afford for consumers to lose sight of your brand. Pay close attention to trends in design; colors and themes throughout the marketing world.

Understand that to create a long-lasting effect on consumers your ad will need to have meaning to their psyche. Consider successful advertising campaigns of famous brands that you have encountered. Each one has a consistent essence unique to them that connects with their type of consumer. That connection is also what you must create with your ad messaging. Think of it as a special creative touch that will make everyone say: “Oh, it’s you!”

Sequencing 

Your creativity must apply not only to advertisements but also in your daily stories and publications your own Instagram feed. To do this, keep your ad content related to your product/service themes to build harmony and consistency with the consumer.

For example, create and follow a sequence of media releases on a predictable schedule, then build ads that can be used in various areas on the Instagram platform. For example, offer – 2 videos, 1 graphic or GIF, and 3 publications per month. Your ad campaign will then use imagery pertinent to the sequence content while maintaining your branding.

The sequence that you set will subconsciously provide your visitors with a sense of connection with your brand. Additionally, the algorithms for their user feed will pick up their visit to your Instagram identity, and push your content to their feed. This increases the chance that your ad will be shared and engaged with.

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Current log analysis is rapidly changing. The process requires data analyzers to keep up with the best practices involved in log management and monitoring. Every organization is unique, and each environment will have its own requirements concerning log management. However, there are strategies and capabilities that transcend such differences.

Effective log analysis streamlines processes and adds value to IT and operations. Well-performed data analysis demonstrates where the logged environment performs in tandem with other IT and server systems. The proactive and continuous gathering of usable log data helps determine the capabilities of computer-based environments. With well-analyzed log data, IT professionals can keep systems functioning well for their clients and operating within regulatory requirements.

Here are some of the best practices you need to follow.

Choose Your Tools Wisely

Make sure that the log management system you use is the ideal solution for your individual needs. First, you must take inventory of your infrastructure. Consider what you need to gain from your analyses and how the log management tool will meet those needs.

Moreover, be clear about your logging demands prior to choosing log management tools. The wrong tool for your needs may be ineffective. However, a tailored log management tool can enhance your work and potentially make your life easier.

RELATED ARTICLE: MASTER DATA: WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO YOUR BUSINESS

Routine Log Checks

Be proactive about checking your logs. Many organizations make the mistake of neglecting their log data. This allows the wealth of information it contains to become obsolete.

On the other hand, effective log management can keep an organization on track to meet regulation and refine the scope of their work. This requires a regular examination of data in order to identify key trends. Routine log checks allow you to anticipate issues and opportunities in the future. Additionally, tending to log data can save money and prevent data loss.

Custom Alerts and Monitoring

Determine the various alerts your company needs for logged data in order to focus on security monitoring. Many alerts are simply based on compliance. However, this is not necessarily the best way to get the most out of your data. Alerts set on regular intervals will remind you to access and analyze your data. This will keep you at the helm of all your data can provide. Consequently, alerts help data environments function well. Then your team can take action to minimize risk and loss.

Stick to a Management Policy

Create and follow a procedure that includes details about how to complete day-to-day log collecting and reporting. Thereafter, look at reports as they are generated to check for consistency. Similarly, inspect reports when a procedure has failed. These simple and consistent checks will make your data work for you rather than against you.

Test Log Management Procedures

Ensuring that your logs are collecting the correct log data is important to running the best analysis possible. Therefore, check that your logs are collecting the information you need. In addition, check that logs are gathering the right events. A regular set of tests helps to ensure that the log management system and the analyses it provides is effective.

Log Management Security

Lastly, make sure that only a limited and authorized team of personnel are able to conduct log management. Too many people accessing the log collection and analysis tools can risk mistakes or modifications to the data environment. Such issues can lead to a failure of data integrity and the system as a whole.

Image by Alexander Gounder from Pixabay 

Is there a trade show or business seminar in your future? If so, why not plan now to bring along some personalized lanyards? They can help to promote your company while you’re there and long after the event is over.

How Can Personalized Lanyards Benefit Your Business?

Brand awareness plays a big part in the success of your business. Of course, as an astute business owner, you use online marketing to promote your products or services. However, it’s also important to introduce certain physical elements into your marketing strategy. These physical components will help to develop a more intimate connection between your customers and your brand.

Personalized lanyards offer businesses a unique and novel way to interact with their customers. The beauty of lanyards lies in how versatile they can be. For example, you can customize a lanyard to whatever specifications work best for your brand. Lanyards can beautifully and accurately represent your business. They will give you a quick and efficient way to increase brand awareness.

Here are four ways personalized lanyards can be beneficial for your business.

They Give You a Unique Networking Opportunity

Events and seminars are a great way to market your business and its product. At these events, it can be difficult at best to walk up to people and tell them about your company. However, a personalized lanyard with details about your company can gain a lot of attention.

Turn to a professional company such as Digital ID. They will provide you with an attractive design for your lanyard. A colorful and well-designed lanyard, with lots of eye appeal, will attract new customers your way. What’s more, it will be something you can take pride in.

Personalized Lanyards Increase Your Visibility

One of the biggest challenges every business faces is finding cost-effective ways to make their products and services more visible. New business owners, especially, can feel uncertain about which methods to choose. This is natural, because they want to get the highest return on investment.

Personalized lanyards, however, are a great way to market your business without burning a lot of cash. Not only are they affordable, but they are also highly effective. Plus, unlike digital or even traditional ads, lanyards last longer.

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They Improve Customer Loyalty

Acquiring customers is one thing. Earning their loyalty is another. But customer loyalty is one of the main factors in the success of any business.

You can use personalized lanyards gifts from you to your customers. On the other hand, what you are giving to your customers is something they can remember you by.

Haven’t you often looked at an ad and forgotten about it the next hour? However, lanyards work as a continual reminder. Your customers won’t forget you.

Personalized Lanyards Strengthen Brand Identity

Brand identity is hugely important to your company. Your brand name, logo, slogan, colors, mascot, and communication style all comprise your brand identity.

When your salespeople and other employees wear lanyards, they create a positive impression. Your personalized lanyards will express what your brand stands for and help to build your company’s image in the market.

The Bottom Line

As we have all heard many times, the first impression is the one that lasts. Build your brand identity and boost customer loyalty with personalized lanyards. They are a great way to create a positive and lasting first impression with your audience. 

Feature photo by Kaitlyn Jade from Pexels

Background checks are a necessity, but they don’t have to be a chore. Because of advances in technology, information and records are much more accessible than ever before. Verifying work history and credentials is just the beginning of the results you can expect. Consider these guidelines for the process of running thorough background checks.

Ground Rules

Above all else, your company must follow certain rules when running a background check. These include laws concerning discrimination and fundamental civil rights. Key elements you must know:

• First and foremost, you must have permission to run the background check in the form of a signed waiver.
• You are not allowed to discriminate based on race, gender, sexual orientation, age, personal beliefs, or physical disability.
• You must protect the confidentiality and privacy of the applicant’s data.
• The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) governs all background checks, so get familiar with their guidelines.
• The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) also provides guidelines to follow.
• Don’t forget to verify basic ID, aliases, and tax status for a person’s legal right to work, including social security validation.

Always discuss the results in a private one-on-one with the candidate, regardless of your hiring decision. Doing so gives the candidate a chance to speak on their own behalf.

RELATED ARTICLE: 5 THINGS SELF-EMPLOYED PEOPLE CAN DO TO PREVENT LAWSUITS

Criminal Background Check

A criminal records check is a background check basic. The criminal background check includes convictions for felony and misdemeanor offenses. However, these may including pending cases. This background check will scan criminal databases like such as the sex offender registry and terrorist watch list. Some background checks will include mugshots. You should bear in mind that these photos are taken upon arrest and do not prove the conviction of a crime.

Certain things don’t appear in standard criminal records checks. These include:

• Infractions and civil judgments
• Juvenile records
• Offenses older than seven years
•  Minor driving offenses

Credit Background Check

A credit check is completed through one of the “big three” credit agencies: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Data includes the candidate’s credit score, loan default reports, collections activities, and public records on tax liens and bankruptcy settlements.

It’s important to keep in mind that as many as 25% of the population has a mistake in their credit report history. Take time to share any concerns that arise with the candidate for further discussion and explanation.

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Drug Screening

Part of your hiring process may include drug screening for illegal and controlled substances. This is not a part of background checks. In reality, drug screening can be a deterrent to potential candidates. In fact, many candidates bristle at the idea and won’t apply to positions requiring a drug screen. 

Additionally, laws regarding some substances are changing in North America. Cannabis laws are actively changing in Canada, parts of the US, and Mexico. You should consider whether to continue to screen for a legalized substance. Proceed with care!

Social Media Profiles

Surveys claim 70% of employers refer in part to potential candidates’ social media personas. However, the information you gather is less-than-ideal. Online identities can be aliased. As a result, you may never be sure that what you read was, in fact, posted by the candidate. Viewing a candidate’s profile also exposes you to all kinds of information you are not at liberty to consider. In short, it’s better to focus on the background check than on speculation from social media postings.

Nobody’s Perfect

This is a good axiom to keep in mind. The goal of running background checks is to find a candidate in whom you can place your confidence. They do not have to be the perfect model citizen. You are looking for character and sound judgment. Background checks are tools to enhance your ability to find the right candidate for you and your business. Use them well and responsibly as part of a larger process of hiring your best team.

As a business owner, keeping your employees, customers, and clients happy and engaged is your number one priority for success. Whether you have a wealth of experience behind you or you’re about to launch your own startup, here are five business skills that every business owner needs to master in 2019.

Motivating Employees

As the head of a business, all eyes are on you. For employee satisfaction, commit to providing effective motivation to your employees. A paycheck is not enough; employees must be led with enthusiasm and appreciation in order to accomplish tasks and reach fulfillment in their work. Their success directly impacts the success of your business, so this particular business skill delivers exponentially on the effort you provide. Giving your workforce a push in the right direction makes a huge difference in meeting your business goals.

Photo Credit: Cristina Morello on Pexels.com

Planning Ahead

“Fail to prepare, prepare to fail.” – Benjamin Franklin

Every project deserves your best effort. Before any outcome can be realized, your time must be spent in the process of planning. This business skill can make or break a project before the work has even begun! 

Successful planning ensures that the project is completed on time and with excellence. Clients and stakeholders want to trust in your brand, so creating an effective plan for your work is your top priority. You cannot risk starting a project with your eyes shut. Take the time to plan so you may avoid potential risks and pitfalls to allow your project to run smoothly. 

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Marketing Skills

Knowing how to market and promote your business makes it possible for you to find and keep the customers you want. When it comes to your brand it’s important that you take every opportunity to get your business at the top of consumer awareness. Use social media to your advantage; creating branded business pages and ads. Set up a web presence that is easy to find and easy to use. Make sure that your messaging and branding is consistent across all platforms and that they give customers more of an insight into what your company is all about. Utilizing the right strategies can help build up a loyal following.

Networking Skills

The networking business skill has long been a staple of the successful business owner’s toolkit.  Word of mouth can make or break you when it comes to running a successful business. Remember, word of mouth can be positive or negative and customers are more willing today than ever to post their thoughts to your website, search engines, and social media. If you aren’t delivering a quality service, customers are more likely to leave negative reviews, which can tarnish your reputation.

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Being professional, friendly, and attentive to whoever you meet is crucial. Take advantage of in-person and online networking to build your brand. When the feedback comes, knowing how to communicate effectively is key to diffusing difficult situations and attracting return customers. Every touchpoint with a customer or potential customer is important.

Time Management

Stakeholders and clients set the schedule of the work you provide as a business owner. The time management business skill will help you stick to the deadlines and avoid over-promising and under-delivering. Various project management tools are available to help keep you on track and ensure your projects run smoothly and efficiently. Use whatever tool assists you in keeping your commitments so you can build trust with those who make your business a success. 

Small business owners and leaders of large corporations use these business skills to accomplish their goals in business. Let 2019 be the year that you master these skills to enhance your impact and your success. 

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Building your brand is more than a one-day task. It requires much hard work, dedication, and teamwork. Moreover, planning to start a business without having a fool-proof idea about how you’re going to build your brand is not a good option.

There are two essential pillars of the modern startup. Those are your company’s recognized online presence and your customers’ experience of your company. When it comes to successfully building your brand, we have identified three powerful tools that can help.

1. TurboLogo Can Help with Building Your Brand

One of the first things you’ll need for building your brand is to create a logo. If you haven’t done that yet, look into the tool called TurboLogo. It’s easy to use, even if you have no design skills.

To create a logo on TurboLogo, follow these four simple steps:

• Type your brand name
• Choose colors and icons that are suited to your brand
• Customize the generated results
• Admire your splendid new logo

TurboLogo will give you high-quality images and backgrounds for your new logo. Plus, its user-friendly editor allows you a full range of creativity, so your logo design will help with building your brand. Give it a try here.

2. Build Your Brand with an Effective Social Media Strategy

The next thing to think about with regard to building your brand is how you’re using social media. This is because a well-defined social media strategy will help you achieve better connections with your target audience.

In order to do this, however, you’re going to need to gain users’ trust. So be sure to post relevant and useful content. Then people will come back for more and eventually become loyal to your company. If you’re having trouble finding compelling content to share, look for other social media tools to help.

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3. Get Your Team Up and Running

Another important aspect to building your brand is to make sure everyone on your team is on the same page. Team software such as Slack can help you to do this. Additionally, Slack offers cloud-based financial, operational, and workspace management solutions, whatever the size or type of your organization.

Specifically, there are three things Slack offers to any enterprise:

Smart Scheduling

Smart scheduling is an intelligent scheduling tool to help you and your team know exactly who is doing what and when they’re doing it.

Always-On Connection

Get a real-time view of who is clocked in and who is not.

Communication Tools

Communication tools allow you to deliver schedules and site instructions to your workforce.

Overall, Slack software allows for greater productivity and higher quality work.

Greater Productivity and Higher-Quality Work

When your team is running at peak efficiency, your customers will get better service. And top-notch customer service is essential to building your company’s reputation and your brand.

Take Advantage of These Three Powerful Tools for Building Your Brand

Building a brand takes time. However, if you do it right, you will firmly establish your company in such a way so as to naturally connect with your customers. The three tools discussed here can help to put your company in a strong position.

Additionally, you might want to consider working with other professional agencies. This can help you to reach your goals faster. For example, a marketing agency can conduct research on your behalf and help you to define your goals.

So make building your brand a priority today. Then start using one or more of the three tools we suggest here, and soon you’ll be well on your way to having a strong brand in the marketplace.